Pamelog

I've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:44:00 +0000

Remember that new concept I was talking about forever ago? Well - it's up and running (sorry for not alerting you earlier). I won't give anything away, but you can check it out at http://littlebabylump.com. Have fun following my new adventure!

You can also check out what I'm contributing to Our American Shelf Life, a group blog.

Happy blogging/reading!

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:05:00 +0000

This is going to be quick ...

I apologize for the complete abandonment of my blog. I am currently brainstorming a new blog concept, so please stay tuned for a future blog makeover.

Thanks for your patience!

Shifting Gears

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:24:00 +0000

It's been a hectic couple of weeks. I've finished my final college work and started my full-time job. This seems a bit strange considering I still have about a week and a half to go before I graduate, and truthfully, some of my friends think I'm nuts (but most of them are also still stressing about exams, so it's fair to say they're also going nuts). Still, I'm excited to be making the transition already. It's comforting knowing I am getting settled into my new life sooner rather than later.

On the other hand, it's been pretty exhausting. Last week I completed two projects, two papers and one final exam. My brain was working overtime, and I barely had time to devote to any therapeutic blogging and/or tweeting. While I've only had two days' experience with this new real-world lifestyle, it's proving to be a rude awakening, and I'm already noticing its tiring effects. However, I'm looking forward to adjusting to the consistent daily routine of a professional career instead of the erratic smorgasbord of college activities and responsibilities.

On the other hand, I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic about the passing of my college life. I've really had a great time and can't imagine a more fulfilling experience than the one I've had at BU. I'll save the memories for graduation day though. I'm not much of a sap, and there's nothing worse than reading other people's sappiness.

In the meantime, I'll be saying goodbye to college and hello to career - and no, I won't be biting the dust at age 36.

Advantages of the Social Media Release: A Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:35:00 +0000

It's finally done! After fiddling around with microphones, Audacity, a mess of hosting sites, and with some much-appreciated guidance from James Connors, the podcast is up!

Using a witty (and possibly strange) example, this podcast highlights and explains the advantages of using a social media release rather than a traditional news release.

This was a group project assignment completed for my New Media and PR class. Yes, that's my voice. Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

Stay Humble, Bloggers: Superficiality and Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:45:00 +0000

Many of you know I am a huge lover, enthusiast and advocate of all things social media. Still, sometimes even I have gripes about its various aspects.

The Web never sleeps, which makes being an active and engaged social media player practically a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week job. It's not enough to maintain your own blog, but you are also expected to be a blog commenter and a Twitter player, participating in conversations and discussions. And while I love blogging, reading others' blogs and tweeting at all hours of the night, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming.

As Commencement looms nearer and the end-of-semester crunch is upon me, I've been succumbing to a greater degree of stress lately. This past weekend, I decided to take some social media time off, making a quick little getaway to Maine, sans technology. It was just what I needed, but even when I returned, I felt a sort of unspoken pressure to play catch-up in the blogosphere.

This leads me to discuss my biggest social media pet peeve: its element of superficiality. It seems like everywhere you turn, we bloggers are screaming,

"Look at me! Look at me! Look what I've done."

We're out and about, trying to promote our latest content: blog posts, applications, podcasts. Don't get me wrong - I'm definitely a perpetrator. You can find me and my accomplishments all over the Web - LinkedIn, Del.icio.us, Facebook, Twitter, my blogs, etc. - all aggregated on my Social Media Resume. Heck, wasn't that last sentence exactly representative of the type of shameless self-promotion I'm talking about?

It makes sense. If you spend a great deal of time creating content, wouldn't you want people to read/listen/watch it? Still, while I have no doubt about my self-promotion's help in establishing my personal brand and helping me secure my post-graduation job, I can't help but feel like a bit of a braggart sometimes. This bothers me, because the last way I want people to view me is pretentious.

I completely agree that being an active member of the blogosphere encourages the fundamentals of social media. It's when people take it to the extreme that I get bothered. Twitter should not be a popularity contest - who cares if you have 6,387 followers? And personally, I don't think it makes sense to surf the blogosphere with the goal of commenting on ten people's blogs in a given day. It's one thing if something they say is thought-provoking. It's another if your comments are forced for the sole purpose of getting your name out there. This "popularity contest" I speak of reminds me of middle school-age behavior, which weren't exactly the most mature years for a lot of people.

In a nutshell, I think much of the superficiality I've witnessed in the blogosphere lately completely contradicts the transparent ideals social media champions. I hope it starts to anger bloggers in the same way flogs have, and I hope authenticity prevails.

Stay humble, bloggers!

Social Media Etiquette In Real Life

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:25:00 +0000

This post follows a heated debate that took place in my apartment last night about social media etiquette in real world settings. The players/positions:

Me: on the defense of new standards in social media etiquette in the real world
My boyfriend, James: on the offense against social media, in support of traditional real world etiquette
My roommate, Allie: referee, on the fence

The debate started when we were sitting on the couch watching TV. Of course I had my laptop open, scanning Twitter, searching Facebook - just generally surfing the InterWeb. James gave me that "put your laptop away" look, which sparked the discussion.

I posed the question of what is acceptable and what isn't in real-word social interactions now that mobile Web devices are gaining such an increasing presence. James is very traditional about etiquette. If we're out to dinner, he's totally a hats-off-at-the-table, no-cell-phone-in-sight kinda guy. Although I agree there are certain standards of etiquette that shouldn't be pushed, I'm a little bit more open to a less strict set of rules.

Still, how much is too much when we're reconsidering these standards? Is sipping a latte at a coffee shop with a friend a setting casual enough to whip out your phone to send a tweet? Are instant message conversations on your laptop during a class lecture a no-no?

Obviously it depends on the situation, the audience and the setting. At social media panels and conferences, the above practices are completely acceptable and even encouraged. People are caught on their laptops, Blackberries and iPhones live-tweeting and spreading information. In my New Media and PR class yesterday, I relayed a tweet from @TDefren to my class and professor, and it was perfectly cool.

But what about when we're hanging out with our friends who aren't as social media friendly as we are? When I brought up that coffee shop/cell phone scenario to James, it practically made him cringe. Does this mean we should only save public tweeting for when we are around our social media friends? And even when we are around only our social media friends, do we still run the risk of seeming disrespectful?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Personally I, like Allie, am on the fence.

My New Adventures In Blogging (Addendum)

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:32:00 +0000

I've received word from several members of the Twitterati that they're concerned about my new adventures in blogging and my blogging frequency, probably based on this article and the following video:

Rest assured, I've got it under control - no blogger sweatshops for me!

My New Adventures In Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:32:00 +0000

Some of you may start noticing me popping up more frequently within the blogosphere. I'm thrilled to be taking on several new blogging projects, which will be unfolding within the next few weeks:

VeggieRun: a new, personal blog of mine launched to fulfill a blogging assignment for my New Media and PR class. While the blog is based on my lifestyle as a vegetarian and a runner, its focus is more generally on health and fitness. Check out VeggieRun's inaugural post for a more in-depth description about what to expect.

Our American Shelf Life: Originally the personal blog of Amanda Mooney, OASL has recently transformed into a group blog I'll be, in part, contributing to. On OASL, I will be joining my fellow pre- and early-professional bloggers (Amanda, Will Wheeler, Sarah Hutton, Melissa Eddy, Amy Yen, Maria Garcia and John) in sharing our perspective as “digital natives.” Read more about our individual stories on the OASL about us page.

Adrants: After my post about Twitter was covered by Adrants, I was invited to meet with Adrants founder, Steve Hall about collaborating with a group of young, social media-savvy professionals as contributors to his popular (slightly rough around the edges) advertising and marketing news blog. Stay tuned to Adrants to see us self-proclaimed group of Adrunts offer our two cents!

LaunchPR: Soon enough, you'll be catching me updating the Schneider Associates blog, which highlights trends and events in launching products and services.

While I'll undoubtedly be a busy blogger bee, I am nothing short of excited for my new adventures in blogging. I hope you'll follow along!

What Is This Social Media Thing?

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:27:00 +0000

Last night, I had a pleasant conversation with Brad King for a new book he's writing about social media (in a nutshell). In the midst of him figuring out what I'm all about, he asked me a simple yet surprisingly baffling question.

"So," he said, "let me ask you this ... what is social media?"

I had been throwing around the term here and there in description of my experiences, so it was only fair of him to clarify. At first my response consisted of a jumbling of "umm" and "well it's, you know," but after some careful thought and prior to a trip to Wikipedia, this is what I came up with:

"Social media is any digital application that allows users to share media with each other."

However, I'd argue that many people have different interpretations of the term, and I've noticed a lot of discussion about this in the blogosphere lately. David Meerman Scott, for example "[suggests] that the term social media describes online media with a participatory or interactive component."

Wikipedia offers quite a muddled definition:

"Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words and pictures. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and 'building' of shared meaning, as people share their stories, and understandings."

Hmm - this sounds like much of the goobledygook David Meerman Scott talks about. Although I have a serious issue with the lack of simplicity in its wording, I do agree social media is an "umbrella term." For example, I think social media includes but is not limited to social networking (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn).

I agree with @Brad_King when he suggested social media is one of those things you recognize when you see but can't easily describe ("much like the term pornography," he offers). There have been so many times I've tried to explain to my family and friends not familiar with social media what it is and what it means for my new job. This often proves a challenge. I end up talking about "Twitter" and the "blogosphere" and am frequently confronted with a blank stare.

For the simple sake of my budding career in public relations,
to me, social media means opportunity.

What do you think social media is, and more importantly, what does it mean to you?

Related Articles:
"What is 'social media?'" Joseph Thornley
"What's Wrong with Social Media?" Brian Solis

Twitter: A Favorite Social Media Resource

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:27:00 +0000

I am a self-professed Twitter lover, as anyone who knows me well will confirm. Unfortunately, most of these people are the same ones who don't understand why. If you are yourself a Twitter lover, I'm sure you can fully relate to the misunderstanding that Twitter is a silly waste of time. For those of you who aren't convinced, I've compiled a list of ways I use Twitter as a valuable resource:

A source for the latest news/sites/links/Web content: Many of the people I follow on Twitter are active social media players - bloggers, PR professionals, tech-enthusiasts. Therefore, the tinyurl's they share are usually useful for me to check out. My logic is, if the people I interact with and respect on Twitter think something is important and worth a click, chances are I will, too! And, if I don't have the time to check out a suggested link right away, Twitter also acts as a great bookmarking tool - I can add the tweet to my favorites and reference it later!

Immediate feedback/advice: Twitter folk are constantly tweeting. If I have an issue I want to poll people about, Twitter is a great place to do it. My recent personal struggle about whether to transfer my blog from Blogger to Wordpress, for example, has spawned an outpouring of input from my Twitter entourage (note: the jury - me - is still out regarding the potential platform switch).

Timely answers to my questions: Somewhat related to my second bullet point, my Twitter stream is a great question/answer forum. Just today, @mjkeliher, @TDefren and I were discussing some issues we had with FriendFeed, and @bmorrissey piped in with the answer to our prayers:

Networking: My Twitterati is a valuable network. Through them, I can connect and interact with important people. They refer me, and I refer them. Twitter makes people easily approachable (as if social media mavens weren't already approachable ;o). It's not uncommon but absolutely welcomed to chat with people you've never talked to or met before. Via Twitter, your network can grow at an almost unbelievable rate.

Live-tweets and event coverage: Twitter has become a wonderful place to track events occurring IRL. The Twitter coverage of SXSW is a noteworthy example of this. Yesterday, I was thankful enough to be following some attendees of the social media forum that took place at Emerson College, whose thorough live-tweets kept me up-to-date with the panel discussion right from my bedroom!

Self-promotion: Are you trying to recruit attendance to an event or promote traffic to your blog? Tweet it! Recently, I've come away with some awesome tips from Chris Brogan's guest post on Problogger on how to use Twitter to promote my blog.

Besides all of these resourceful ways to use Twitter, I also get a lot of enjoyment out of the 140-character Twitter-treats my Twitterati posts. They have the tendency to be pretty witty sometimes, and even though it may be trivial, it's fun to hear about their crazy skiing adventures or their victory in baking the perfect pie.

Currently, my flip phone is not very Twitter-friendly. I'm eying some Blackberries - you can imagine my tweeting frequency will only increase once I get my hands on one of those.

What are some other effective ways you use Twitter?

PR Advanced: PRSSA Goes 2.0 - And Does It Well

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:45:00 +0000

What a fabulous job the BU and Simmons College chapters of PRSSA did putting together yesterday's conference, PR Advanced: PRSSA Goes 2.0! The day included two keynote addresses from prominent players in the industry (Rick Murray of Edelman and author/speaker, David Meerman Scott); an activity with Dusty Rhodes of Conventure; and two breakout sessions with PR professionals such as Elicia Basoli, Greg Peverill-Conti, Lisa Davis, Jason Glashow and Laurie Shulman. The conference ended with a career fair sponsored by Racepoint Group, 360 Public Relations, Fleishman-Hillard, Weber Shandwick, Cone and my future employer, Schneider Associates.

It was so refreshing to see how many of my fellow, budding PR professionals attended the conference and really embraced this new, social media revolution in public relations. The speakers each offered a unique point of view to the practice, and I almost wish there had been five breakout sessions instead of only two so I could hear what each professional brought to the table.

I think the most important notion stressed at the conference was how potentially powerful my generation of PR practitioners can be, since we've grown up with the evolution of the digital age. Rick Murray candidly revealed that we young professionals truly scare the seasoned ones, because we have the appropriate mindset and better understanding of the tools used in social media. He reiterated the important point that this understanding affords us an exciting opportunity to succeed when other generations in our position were not able. It was wonderful to hear such an esteemed professional confirm it. I'm glad other students were present to hear Murray's call to action, and I hope it will encourage them to truly jump on the opportunity.

Following the conference, I had the pleasure of mingling with some of my future colleagues at Schneider in a mini Tweetup at Z Square in Kenmore, organized by Amanda Mooney. It was great to spend some time learning more about them, and it made me even more excited to start my job!

Off With The Training Wheels

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:39:00 +0000

It's official. "Job Hunt '08" is over. The college training wheels are almost off. I am now completely prepared to face the world as a so-called "real person," and I couldn't be more excited. I'd found the apartment first, and now I have the job to pay for the apartment. It's pretty invigorating, and now I can officially take that sigh of relief (SIGH).

Following my graduation from Boston University in May, I will proudly be starting my position at Schneider Associates as Social Media Coordinator. I am extremely enthusiastic about the start of my professional career, and I believe Schneider Associates and this specific opportunity is a perfect fit for the PR practitioner and social media enthusiast in me.
While it's a huge relief that I have a job waiting for me after graduation, I still consider myself pretty lucky and, to those still searching, I would like to offer some advice that has helped me along the way ...

Don't Panic. You're not alone. I am probably in the minority of graduating students who already have a job set for after graduation. It won't kill you if there's a gap between Commencement day and your first day on the job. Still, if you haven't started pursuing your job search, you should start now. Those loans aren't going to pay back themselves.

Don't Settle. With graduation looming, it may be tempting to accept the first offer you receive, but if you are doubtful whether the position is a good fit, take a step back and think about it. In a month or two, will you truly be happy working there? It may be a better idea to keep looking. If someone already wants you, chances are there are other, more suitable options out there.

Stay Positive, and Be Confident. Sounding desperate is not going to be an attractive quality to employers when you're on an interview. If you lead them to believe you have other opportunities or offers on the table, you can position yourself as a competitive and desirable candidate.

Be Resourceful. Use every resource available to you. Check out your college's Office of Career Services. Utilize job posting Web sites like CareerBuilder and Monster. Your friend's mother works in the same industry? Let her know you're looking and ask if she has any helpful contacts. I can't stress this enough - USE YOUR NETWORK!

While it may be easy to stress about life after graduation, you should also consider what a huge accomplishment graduating is. We've put a lot of time and effort into the past four years, and that's cause for celebration in itself.

Pretty soon, we'll all be able to unscrew those training wheels.

Peep Show

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:11:00 +0000

No - not that kind of peep show. I do have some class.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Easter Sunday, and if you aren't Christian, I hope you're enjoying your regular Sunday. It's still okay to have a peep or two (though I prefer to wait until they are good and stale).

Last night I attended my very first Tweetup - a pub crawl in Boston organized by Blogstring that included some absolutely fabulous social media people from Boston and New York. I made friends with some really cool cats, and I can't wait for our next opportunity to hang out. Amanda Gravel has already posted some fun pictures from the six-hour crawl - check 'em out!

A Lack of Social Media in Higher Education?

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 03:22:00 +0000

My latest entry is in the form of a guest post on Steve Spalding's blog, "How To Split An Atom." Check it out here!

It's Easy Being Green

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:16:00 +0000

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I may not be Irish, but I know enough people who are. Treat yourself to a green bagel, some corned beef and cabbage and green eggs and ham (maybe just the cabbage and eggs for me) or even some green beer.

Oh yeah, and - are you wearing green today?

A Change'll Do You Good

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:00:00 +0000

This past week was Boston University's "Spring Break." I say "Spring Break" because mine wasn't exactly indicative of its suggestive connotation (the spring break woo-hoo! type). I wasn't traipsing around Cancun in my bikini or getting cultured at the Roman Colosseum. While fellow BU'ers were spending money, I was making it, working 9-5. And while I'm not going to pretend I'm not jealous of my friends' sunny and exotic photo documentations on Facebook (it sure would've been nice to develop a slightly warmer skin tone), it did feel pretty rewarding and responsible to earn some extra dough to fall back on. Hey, I don't exactly have a job yet, and the days are counting down.

Admittedly, with all the free time I spent in front of a computer this past week, I was surprisingly absent from the blogosphere (besides work on my new blog - up and running soon!). Rather, I used my free computer time as a sort of virtual vacation. I barely checked my favorite blogs or participated in the Twitterverse. Instead, I frequented intellectually-devoid sites (icanhascheezburger.com was a personal favorite) and watched a ton of movies (btw, "Juno," "Gone Baby Gone," "Into the Wild" and "Across the Universe" are highly recommended).

Although I may have been pretty anti-social this spring break, I'm feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to be the little media socialite I am again. Sometimes a little vacation from our normal routines, virtual or physical, is just what is needed to stay our normal selves.

Sometimes, a little change'll do you good.

Wanted: Social Media-Savvy Communicators

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:14:00 +0000

With graduation nearing for many of my classmates and me, a lot of class discussion has been devoted to questions about careers. One major concern I've noticed is students' fear that potential employers are closely screening their Web presence when considering them as new hires. When I created the Media Socialites Facebook group for my new media class, a common worry among my classmates was how their privacy settings would be affected. I even learned some have created additional Facebook profiles solely targeted to employers.

Although I understand and respect my classmates' apprehension due to the super transparency of the Web, I also don't see the necessity to take it to the extreme. And while I'm sure advice ranges from industry to industry, I'd like to direct this post to all those communication majors out there.

From what I've experienced, potential communication employers actually champion, not frown upon, your Web presence. As communicators in a rapidly changing industry, knowledge of, participation in and passion for new media is considered an asset, not a handicap. Just as I would be wary of a PR firm not offering services in social media, as an employer, I'd be wary of an applicant who doesn't show interest in it.

Personally, I think that as a soon-to-be grad vying for a career in public relations, showcasing my social media savviness has helped set me apart as one of those "not like the others" applicants. Having practically grown up with the evolution of the Internet, we certainly have a leg up on older generations of PR professionals who haven't. Why not exploit that?

However, be careful. Like I said, the Web is transparent, and you should fully understand this. Here are a few of my personal guidelines for releasing content onto the Web:

Assume privacy settings won't actually make your content private: A good example of what I mean is expressed in the comments section of David Meerman Scott's latest post, "The new rules at universities – authors connecting with students" (which I'm very proud to link back to ;o). The commenter, Robert French, relayed a "teachable moment" when, as an outsider, he was able to access every post on a certain Facebook group's site, even though the group was set to "private."

That said, don't post anything you wouldn't want everyone to read/view/watch/listen to: You mention in your fb profile you hate your CM561 course, so you put your professor on your limited profile list. Bad idea. Word will get out, even if you can't perceive how; you're better off keeping your hatred of the class to yourself. This may mean taking some time to scan and edit your existing Web presence - perhaps that self-deprecating picture you posted isn't very appropriate for the world to see either.

Be yourself: Don't make up fake personas you think would appeal to employers. It's kind of akin to lying on your resume about your experience. What happens when you show up to an interview and you're nothing like your contrived Facebook profile says you are?

Transparency shouldn't be an issue if you have nothing to hide. For those students with something to hide, why would you be parading that information on the Web anyway?

My advice? Use your Web presence to teach others and employers about you - your passions, your skills, your utter coolness. Employers aren't just looking for someone with an adequate resume - they're looking for someone who has a personality that fits with their company as well.

Social media is humanizing public relations -
help it humanize your job search, too.

Readers: I'd love to know more about your personal considerations when it comes to online posting. Feel free to add!

Social Media: "Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:54:00 +0000

My New Media and PR class had the pleasure of meeting up with three social media zealots this week - author and speaker, David Meerman Scott; SHIFT principal, Todd Defren; and SHIFT employee (and BU PR grad), Amanda Gravel. Tomorrow, I also have the privilege of attending a panel discussion at BU, where I'll be soaking up panelist, PodCamp cofounder and Twitter friend, Chris Brogan's real-life tweets about new media. Needless to say, it's been a very informative week on the social media front.

This week's offline experiences with PR 2.0 have gotten me thinking a lot about the online world and the offline world, and how, for many, these two worlds converge. Amanda, for example, often describes her online and offline lives as one and the same.

So much of the feedback from my classmates after our visit to SHIFT today has been about how surprised they are that the leaders of social media (like Todd) are such fun, personable and approachable people in real life. But why should this be surprising? We social media enthusiasts love participating in conversation, both in the virtual world and the physical world. Why do you think PR people like Todd are so successful at what they do? The answer is that they know how to successfully relate to people.

I don't think people who are trying to grasp the concept of social media consider how much it relates to how people physically interact with each other. For these people, David Meerman Scott offers his analogy for the Web as a city. Blogs, he mention, are the bars and pubs of the city. In short, his point is that by frequenting these bars and contributing to the ramblings of the other patrons (online conversation), you can learn about your peers (audience) and thus become a reliable and credible source. To me, this sounds like a virtual "Cheers," "where everybody knows your name." (For more about David's analogy, check out Bloggers Take Note: The Web is a City.)

One really cool thing I've noticed about social media champions is that their passion for social interaction far exceeds the virtual realm. Staring and typing away at a computer screen all day (sounds ironically unsocial, huh?) just doesn't seem to satisfy their inner social butterfly. IRL, these people organize and attend meetings and events with their online social network of friends. Social networking sites such as Upcoming and applications like Facebook Events help them do this, which is how social media breakfasts, Tweetups (meetups of Twitter friends), PodCamps, etc. are planned. PubCrawl Tweetup, anyone?

This passion for conversation and engagement in and out of the social media realm is exciting and infectious. Personally, I have always been a very social person. When none of my friends were available to hang out, I used the Internet as a way to engage myself socially. Funny enough, now I'm using the Internet to organize ways to hang out with my friends. Like Amanda, I think my online and offline worlds are starting to converge as well!

How 2.0 Blog

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:46:00 +0000

I have another blog in the works. As a project for my New Media and PR class, we are required to create a brand new blog, so for some of us, this means maintaining two, separate blogs. Not a problem - I'd already been considering additional blog topics anyway. I'll let you know when it's up and running (hint, hint)!

While researching helpful tips to share with my fellow classmates about creating a blog, I came across a witty page on wikiHow that helps potential bloggers accomplish just the opposite. To have a little fun and play Devil's Advocate to us blog fans, check out some informative steps on "How to Dissuade Yourself from Becoming a Blogger."

Of course, for my classmates, following these steps will only result in a failing grade. In this case, scroll down to the bottom of that same wikiHow page and instead click on "How to Start a Blog." Happy blogging!

"I'm Not a Vegangelical"

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Inspired by Valentine's Day and an article entitled, "I Love You, but You Love Meat," found in yesterday's edition of The New York Times, today's post focuses on love - love for food, that is.

On a somewhat unsettling note, the above-mentioned article highlights several cases of broken hearts on account of differing dietary points of view. One vegan woman from Belleville, NY, for example, broke it off with her meat-loving boyfriend recently because she found his practice of grilling his beef patties next to her vegan burgers to be "unenlightened and disturbing."

Personally, I am a vegetarian who, according to research on sites like chowhound.com and slashfood.com, is of the more acceptable variety. Apparently, vegetarians who choose their diet for health or religious reasons are more datable than those who choose it for other reasons. Lucky me?

I'm one of those health-justified veggies. I came to the realization one day (last May, 2007) that I never actually cooked meat for myself. In fact, the only time I consumed it was when it was prepared for me by someone else - a family member, a restaurant, etc. After researching all the general health benefits, in addition to weighing in the medical history of my family (plagued by heart disease beyond belief), this new diet seemed like the simple and logical choice. And for me, it has proven to be just that.

Believe me - my fairly recent lifestyle change hasn't gone without scrutiny. Some omnivores, such as author Anthony Bourdain in his book, Kitchen Confidential, claim, “Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.” Pretty radical viewpoint, I'd say, but even as a vegetarian, I relinquished a chuckle.

New friends are often surprised to find out about my historical love affair with meat. I used to scoff at those who ordered their burgers well-done, and I always requested my birthday dinners consist of a practically still-bleeding/mooing slab of steak. People often ask, "How can you so easily give up something you love?" These are the people who, as the article puts it, "are suspicious of anyone who does not give in to the pleasure principle."

The answer is simple. I've found a new love - vegetables. Many meat-eaters can't even fathom the idea of a vegetable rivaling a cut of meat's pleasurable effects. Arguably, I cannot keep track of the number of times I've served a sans-meat dish to an über-carnivore and been rewarded a satisfied moan.

Still, while food may have a powerful affect on affection, the potential for love between an herbivore and an omnivore is not entirely doomed. If a kosher man and a vegetarian woman can coexist (see article), I see platefuls of hope for the cohabitation of leaf-eaters and meat-eaters alike.

After discussing the article with my meat-eating boyfriend, he views our future living arrangements and our potentially relationship-damaging, coexisting diets in a pretty blasé way: "Eh - I can see us eating pretty much the same things together," he commented. "I'll just also be having a side of meat with my veggies."

Social Media and Politics: Food For Thought

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:01:00 +0000

Social media is performing some sort of voodoo on me. I always feel refreshed and rejuvenated by the discussions in my New Media and PR class, but yesterday's conversation surprised me. While I'm usually much less than turned on by debates about politics (I know - shame on me), yesterday I found myself surprisingly engaged when we threw social media into the political mix.

Food for thought ...

Is social media compromising or increasing the accuracy of information available about candidates' characters and platforms?

In our most recent assignment, we were required to pose and discuss a particular question relating to social media, PR and politics. My research on techPresident led me to focus on whether candidates' presence in social media networks is a help or a hindrance to their campaigns. Specifically, I focused on Barack Obama (who boasts a list of 16 social network memberships on his Web site) and his obviously heavy presence.

Do videos like "Yes We Can" (largely inspiring) and "I Got a Crush ... on Obama" (mainly entertaining) help drive a candidate's campaign, or are such videos compromising the substance and seriousness of his/her character? Surely, the answer depends on the candidate and his/her particular following.

While it's no doubt Obama's new media tactics are paying off in an attempt to snatch the support of the young electorate (he claimed 59% of voters under 30 on Super Tuesday), at which point is the social media push considered overkill? How much is too much, and what will happen when it fails to reach additional, important demographics?

What's your take? For me, the jury is still out.

My Social Media Résumé

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Check out my first stab at a Social Media Résumé, based on inspiration from Chris Penn and SHIFT Communications' Social Media Newsroom Template.

Take a closer look, and feel free to dish out some constructive criticism!

Judgment vs. Enthusiasm: A PR Crossroads

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:51:00 +0000

Lately, I've noticed a flurry of conversation surrounding a particular dilemma in the new age of PR and social media: judgment vs. enthusiasm. All the big boys seem to be talking about it ...

In an era of increasing transparency, leaders in the PR industry are battling over which type of practitioner is more vital to the success of their agencies - is it the wise, senior-level professional who has the experience to exercise the best judgment, or rather the social media-savvy youth, enthusiastic and eager to engage in all things fresh and new?

In David Meerman Scott's new rules of marketing & PR job description post, he advocates the importance of the latter. While he makes no mention of their age, he stresses that companies are looking for "smart people" to fill a new, atypical job description that fits into the the new age of PR. The description, developed by Jeff Ernst, VP of marketing at Kadient, looks something like this:

"She (or he) created her Facebook profile well before any of her buddies did, then encouraged them all to join, and now has 700 friends on Facebook. She writes her own blog where she talks about her favorite bands. She loves to experiment with new ways to drive traffic to her blog. She's read David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR, and is passionate about combining her love for social media with her work by applying the new rules in a B2B marketing environment."

Ernst's new media job description makes an excellent point about the newly desired qualifications of PR practitioners. The only problem I see here is no mention of a judgment requirement, and after reading Paul Holmes' article, "A Manifesto for the 21st Century Public Relations Firm," I have never been more convinced of its importance. Sure, it's fun and easy to think new media can solve all public relations problems, but it takes carefully executed good judgment to keep transparency in check, otherwise the outcome might be more harmful than helpful. As Todd Defren affirms, "Even the best intentions might be met with a sneer of indignation." With the emergence of Web 2.0, there is no room for rash, devil-may-care PR decisions.

Certainly, the logical conclusion is that PR firms will need to hire people who are some sort of hybrid of the two personae, which is exactly what Holmes' attempts to bring home in his manifesto:

"Finding people who can combine youthful enthusiasm and good judgment ... will be critical to the success of the 21st century public relations agency."

This is exactly the type of PR professional we should all aspire to be. Be a part of this budding class, and you'll be one fine catch ... without a doubt.

The Power of Networking

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:26:00 +0000

"Network, network, network."

It's been drilled into my head by employers, educators and family members since my first day of college. Let me tell you, I'm glad it was. There's no doubt I've already used networking connections to my advantage, and during this critical stage in my life (which I like to call "Job-Hunt '08"), I've never been more of an advocate of their potential.

The thing is, while I feel I've been adequately convinced of the influence networking connections can have, I don't think my peers have. Sure, they're on Monster and Career Builder, constantly searching for updated listings and trying to actively participate in Job Hunt '08, yet they're missing the mark. Let's face it - many available jobs are never even posted. So how do these positions get filled? You guessed it: networking.

I think a big chunk of the reason people don't use networking is because they don't know how to get started. The first time I was advised to network, I remember thinking, "Great! And now what?" The fact is, you're networking all the time without even knowing it. That professor you had sophomore year? Your boyfriend's cousin's best friend? They can both be a part of your network if you play your cards right. The key is to make a name for yourself. Let the new people you meet know who you are and what you're about. Work on your elevator pitch.

Luckily, my generation also has this wonderful resource called the Web. Luckier still, along with the dawn of social media came social networking communities. Case in point: Twitter. While I've only been a member of this community for a matter of months, I'm already forming valuable relationships with several influential figures in the PR field.

Another reason people dismiss networking as a tool is they are too timid to use the connections they've made. For these people, my advice is simply to get over your fears and suck it up. People are generally willing to help, even if you have only met them once or twice. And hey, if they aren't, move on to another connection!

The connections are out there - find them and use them. I may never have interned in the publicity department at The CW Network in Los Angeles had I not mentioned my search to the random girl in Boston that my friend was dating at the time. Her dad: Senior VP of Communications, The CW. Bingo! And the woman who interviewed me for my internship in publicity at E! Networks? A Boston University alumna.

So, fellow job-hunters, I encourage you to start sending out your feelers and generating/tapping into those resources. Now's the time.

Happy Birds Day

noreply@blogger.com (pamelump) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Although it was over a week ago, I just wanted to comment on how fabulous my birthday was and thank everyone who made it great. I'm officially 22 now, which means absolutely nothing - pretty much all the age-related benefits of birthdays (teenage-ism, sweet sixteen-age, legaldom - of age and substances, voting and gambling) have been exhausted by now. Still my birthday celebration was a lot of fun and definitely memorable.

My day began after a relaxing weekend in Maine. Regrettably, we didn't have a chance to ski and use our free rentals (James works at EMS). Of course, we picked the one weekend when New England boasted record-breaking temperature highs, and there wasn't enough snow even in Maine for favorable skiing conditions. Apparently going to see Atonement in theaters was the most appropriate replacement for cross-country skiing (I say this facetiously due to the fact that Atonement was, in James' and my opinion, a stone's throw away from sucking, despite it's Golden Globe Best Picture recognition).

On my birthday night, James took me out to a delicious dinner at Brown Sugar Cafe, a Thai restaurant on BU's campus. We had spring rolls as an appetizer and I had hot tea and vegetable curry with brown rice and tofu - so "yum." We also shared some tasty coconut ice cream. Quite an indulgent dinner.

During dinner, James revealed that we'd be going to see Blue Man Group afterwards, which I was really excited about since it was at the top of my list of Bostonian things I haven't yet done. When we arrived back at James' apartment after dinner (because he "forgot the tickets"), a few close friends were there to surprise me with cheesecake! Apparently seeing Blue Man Group was in James' original plan, but the showing for Monday night had been canceled. We went last Friday instead, sat in the poncho section, and it was absolutely amazing. Best birthday gift ever!